Album Review

Icy Demons
Tears of a Clone
B+

What the mind-bending, hairy, 8-bit, tiki lounge fuck? Icy Demons hail from Philadelphia/Chicago, according to their myspace page, and share members Pow Pow and Cougar with the phenomenal Man Man. While Man Man provides a good reference point, they probably share more in common with an act such as The Flaming Lips. Dreamy and more subdued than their musical cousins, Icy Demons drift where Man Man explode. I like Man Man because they make me feel like a pirate in a bar and I like Icy Demons because they make me feel like a cartoon villain or a pixelated hero on the end boss level.
Quirkiness is about the only constant in this diverse record that slips and slides in and out of various genres. A vibraphone, vocoders, simple note progressions, and diverse percussion lend a sense of adventure and exploration to the album and often invoke a feeling that you are listening to some strange Atari soundtrack. Opening track "Jump Off" starts out straight in Bowser's castle before transitioning to a 60's surf rock vibe. Reggae influences show up in "As It Comes," and "This is It!" is a strutting electronica, hip-hop, lounge hybrid for lonely spacemen. "Bunny" is an airy, soft jazz duet featuring a clarinet, while "Golden Coin" is a manic, optimistic, happy-go-lucky, bouncy track that (like the name alludes to) would be great as a bonus round tune. Vocals range from vocoders to detached falsetto chants, but usually play secondary to the beautiful melodies (a pair of Cellos often provide the backbone for these) and compelling beats.
I think about sunny beaches, dark caves, black holes, slot machines and everything in between when listening to Tears of a Clone. An instant new favorite, right up my alley, as they say.

Listen to:
This is it!
Trial By Lasers

Their website is here, myspace is here.


This track is off their earlier LP, Fight Back
Icy Demons "Desert Toll"